Marcus Tullius Cicero→Unknown|c. 43 BC|Cicero|From Rome|AI-assisted
If you are well, that is good. We have read your letter, which is very much like your edict: insulting, threatening, and wholly unworthy of being sent by you to us. We, Antony, have provoked you with no insult. Nor did we think you would be surprised if praetors, and men of our standing, asked something of a consul by edict. But if you are angry that we dared to do this, at least allow us to be pained that even this much is not granted by you to Brutus and Cassius.
As for levies held, money demanded, armies tampered with, and messengers sent overseas, matters about which you say you have not complained, we believe that you have acted with the best intentions. Still, we acknowledge none of those charges, and we are surprised that, after keeping silent about them, you could not restrain your anger from throwing Caesar's death in our faces.
Think for yourself how intolerable this is: praetors are not allowed, for the sake of harmony and liberty, to waive their legal rights by edict without the consul threatening arms. There is no reason for you to frighten us by relying on arms. It is neither decent nor fitting for us to submit our spirit to any danger, and Antony ought not to demand command over the men by whose action he is free.
If other things were urging us to stir up civil war, your letter would accomplish nothing, for threats have no authority among free men. But you understand perfectly well that we cannot be driven anywhere, and perhaps for that reason you act threateningly, so that our judgment may look like fear.
Our position is this: we want you to be great and honorable in a free republic, and we summon you to no private hostility; nevertheless, we value our liberty more than your friendship. Look again and again at what you are undertaking and what you are able to sustain. Think not how long Caesar lived, but how briefly he ruled.
We pray the gods that your plans may be healthy for the republic and for you. If not, we hope they may harm you as little as possible while the republic remains safe and honorable.
August 4.
DCCLXXIX (Fam. XI, 3) M. BRUTUS AND C. CASSIUS TO M. ANTONIUS THE CONSUL NAPLES, 4 AUGUST If you are well, we are glad. We have perused a letter from you very closely corresponding to your edict-insulting, threatening, and not at all such as should have been addressed to us by you. We have not, Antonius , used any words of insult to you, nor did we suppose that you would be surprised if as praetors and men of such rank we had demanded in an edict something of a consul. But if you feel indignation at our having ventured to do so, at least allow us to feel aggrieved that even this much is refused by you to a Brutus and a Cassius . For as to the holding of levies and demanding money contributions, tampering with armies and sending couriers across sea — of which you say that you have not complained — we of course believe that your action has been dictated by the best motives. Nevertheless, we do not acknowledge any one of these allegations, and we feel surprised that, after restraining your tongue on these matters, you have not been able to refrain from taunting us in your anger with the death of Caesar . Rather consider yourself how intolerable it is that praetors are not allowed for the sake of peace and liberty to announce in an edict that they waive their rights, without the consul threatening them with armed violence. By relying on arms you cannot daunt us: for it is neither right nor fitting for us to allow our courage to be overborne by any danger, nor ought Antonius to expect to tyrannize over those by whose action he is a free man. If other considerations impelled us to wish for a civil war, your letter would not have had any effect upon the question: for words of menace have no weight with free men. But you know full well that we cannot be driven in any direction, and perhaps you use menaces in that matter to give what is the result of our deliberate judgment the appearance of fear. Our feeling is that, while we desire you to have a great and honourable position in a free state, and do not challenge you to any quarrel, we yet value our liberty higher than your friendship. Consider again and again what you are taking upon yourself, what you are capable of maintaining, and be careful to consider not how long Caesar lived, but how long he reigned. We pray the gods that your designs may be for the safety of the Republic; if not, we hope that they may damage yourself as little as is consistent with its safety and honour. 4 August.
III. Scr. prid. Non. Sext. a.u.c. 710. BRUTUS ET CASSIUS PR. S. D. ANTONIO COS.
S. v. b. e. Litteras tuas legimus simillimas edicti tui, contumeliosas, minaces, minime dignas, quae a te nobis mitterentur. Nos, Antoni, te nulla lacessiimus iniuria neque miraturum credidimus, si praetores et ea dignitate homines aliquid edicto postulassemus a consule; quod si indignaris ausos esse id facere, concede nobis, ut doleamus ne hoc quidem abs te Bruto et Cassio tribui. Nam de delectibus habitis et pecuniis imperatis, exercitibus sollicitatis et nuntiis trans mare missis quod te questum esse negas, nos quidem tibi credimus optimo animo te fecisse, sed tamen neque agnoscimus quidquam eorum et te miramur, cum haec reticueris, non potuisse continere iracundiam tuam, quin nobis de morte Caesaris obiiceres. Illud vero quemadmodum ferundum sit, tute cogita, non licere praetoribus concordiae ac libertatis causa per edictum de suo iure decedere, quin consul arma minetur: quorum fiducia nihil est quod nos terreas; neque enim decet aut convenit nobis periculo ulli submittere animum nostrum neque est Antonio postulandum, ut iis imperet, quorum opera liber est. Nos si alia hortarentur, ut bellum civile suscitare vellemus, litterae tuae nihil proficerent; nulla enim minantis auctoritas apud liberos est; sed pulchre intelligis non posse nos quoquam impelli, et fortasse ea re minaciter agis, ut iudicium nostrum metus videatur. Nos in hac sententia sumus, ut te cupiamus in libera re publica magnum atque honestum esse, vocemus te ad nullas inimicitias, sed tamen pluris nostram libertatem quam tuam amicitiam aestimemus. Tu etiam atque etiam vide, quid suscipias, quid sustinere possis, neque quamdiu vixerit Caesar, sed, quam non diu regnarit, fac cogites. Deos quaesumus, consilia tua rei publicae salutaria sint ac tibi: si minus, ut salva atque honesta re publica tibi quam minimum noceant, optamus. Pridie Nonas Sext.
◆
If you are well, that is good. We have read your letter, which is very much like your edict: insulting, threatening, and wholly unworthy of being sent by you to us. We, Antony, have provoked you with no insult. Nor did we think you would be surprised if praetors, and men of our standing, asked something of a consul by edict. But if you are angry that we dared to do this, at least allow us to be pained that even this much is not granted by you to Brutus and Cassius.
As for levies held, money demanded, armies tampered with, and messengers sent overseas, matters about which you say you have not complained, we believe that you have acted with the best intentions. Still, we acknowledge none of those charges, and we are surprised that, after keeping silent about them, you could not restrain your anger from throwing Caesar's death in our faces.
Think for yourself how intolerable this is: praetors are not allowed, for the sake of harmony and liberty, to waive their legal rights by edict without the consul threatening arms. There is no reason for you to frighten us by relying on arms. It is neither decent nor fitting for us to submit our spirit to any danger, and Antony ought not to demand command over the men by whose action he is free.
If other things were urging us to stir up civil war, your letter would accomplish nothing, for threats have no authority among free men. But you understand perfectly well that we cannot be driven anywhere, and perhaps for that reason you act threateningly, so that our judgment may look like fear.
Our position is this: we want you to be great and honorable in a free republic, and we summon you to no private hostility; nevertheless, we value our liberty more than your friendship. Look again and again at what you are undertaking and what you are able to sustain. Think not how long Caesar lived, but how briefly he ruled.
We pray the gods that your plans may be healthy for the republic and for you. If not, we hope they may harm you as little as possible while the republic remains safe and honorable.
August 4.
AI-assisted translation - This translation was produced with AI assistance and has not been peer-reviewed. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek below for scholarly use.
Latin / Greek Original
III. Scr. prid. Non. Sext. a.u.c. 710. BRUTUS ET CASSIUS PR. S. D. ANTONIO COS.
S. v. b. e. Litteras tuas legimus simillimas edicti tui, contumeliosas, minaces, minime dignas, quae a te nobis mitterentur. Nos, Antoni, te nulla lacessiimus iniuria neque miraturum credidimus, si praetores et ea dignitate homines aliquid edicto postulassemus a consule; quod si indignaris ausos esse id facere, concede nobis, ut doleamus ne hoc quidem abs te Bruto et Cassio tribui. Nam de delectibus habitis et pecuniis imperatis, exercitibus sollicitatis et nuntiis trans mare missis quod te questum esse negas, nos quidem tibi credimus optimo animo te fecisse, sed tamen neque agnoscimus quidquam eorum et te miramur, cum haec reticueris, non potuisse continere iracundiam tuam, quin nobis de morte Caesaris obiiceres. Illud vero quemadmodum ferundum sit, tute cogita, non licere praetoribus concordiae ac libertatis causa per edictum de suo iure decedere, quin consul arma minetur: quorum fiducia nihil est quod nos terreas; neque enim decet aut convenit nobis periculo ulli submittere animum nostrum neque est Antonio postulandum, ut iis imperet, quorum opera liber est. Nos si alia hortarentur, ut bellum civile suscitare vellemus, litterae tuae nihil proficerent; nulla enim minantis auctoritas apud liberos est; sed pulchre intelligis non posse nos quoquam impelli, et fortasse ea re minaciter agis, ut iudicium nostrum metus videatur. Nos in hac sententia sumus, ut te cupiamus in libera re publica magnum atque honestum esse, vocemus te ad nullas inimicitias, sed tamen pluris nostram libertatem quam tuam amicitiam aestimemus. Tu etiam atque etiam vide, quid suscipias, quid sustinere possis, neque quamdiu vixerit Caesar, sed, quam non diu regnarit, fac cogites. Deos quaesumus, consilia tua rei publicae salutaria sint ac tibi: si minus, ut salva atque honesta re publica tibi quam minimum noceant, optamus. Pridie Nonas Sext.